Fashion Advice ((for sweetcandygirl))

[fiveofnone]

At a small café in the heart of the Shopping District, Caspar sits at an outdoor table and sips from his tiny ceramic cup of espresso. Outwardly, his expression is one of calm indifference, but inside, he's a little concerned. For not the first time since he sat down, he pulls out his PINpoint and re-reads the text from Harley on its glowing screen.

It's not unusual for Harley to send him a text. It is unusual for her to request fashion advice. She seems pretty set on her style, such as it is. Her asking for help is like him asking for help.

Highly unlikely.

He agreed, naturally. He can't turn down an afternoon of clothes shopping, even if something seems off about it. So, hopefully for the last time, he puts his PINpoint away and takes another sip of espresso while he waits for Harley to arrive.

Comments

[sweetcandygirl]

Harley won't press Caspar for details on what is on his mind. When he wants to talk to someone, she will be there for him. Just like he is here for her today.

"I do enjoy seeing my fans at the roller derby games." She smiles.

She taps her fingers on a clothing rack. "It is sort of hard to build a reputation in the Nexus, Caspar. And it is not like I have not been there... helping others."

"There are so many secrets from the Halloween crisis, that no one wants to talk about what they experienced. And the spring revel... the memories I have are not the same as others."

[fiveofnone]

He wasn't there for Halloween, but Adia told him what she had experienced, and the memory of that conversation is enough to make him look away, real shame on his face. "You can't expect people to open up about that sort of thing, Harley. Those Nightmares were personal."

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he forces his thoughts back to the present. "You're right, it's hard. Forget I suggested it." As for mismatched memories, he gives her a thoughtful stare. "You too, huh? Arceus told Adia that anyone with a strong mind would remember the events of the original timeline." He smiles wryly. "Congratulations to us for being stubborn, I guess."

He gestures to the cashier station. "You ready to get out of here, or did you want to look for anything else?"

[sweetcandygirl]

"The way people deal with their own nightmares are their own decision. And so to respect what I saw and experienced... to safeguard the nightmares that were not mine... I just have to deal with not being able to talk about it."

Harley laughed at him calling her stubborn. Then frowns slightly. "I know that you, Adia, Katsuya and I remember. Not sure who else does."

She drops her voice. "The trouble is running into him again. Just walking around with his girlfriend. It is weird seeing someone you can't trust so in love. I feel like it is some game."

At his last question, Harley nods. "I think I got the best from this store. Maybe there is another we can check out."

[fiveofnone]

"You were there." A fact that Adia hadn't mentioned. She only told him of the people she crossed paths with while she was in the Nightmare. "I'm surprised you want to talk about it, it sounds like it was a terrible time for everyone. You, ah... you never brought it up with Adia?"

A small frown on his face appears, mirroring hers. "Professor Madrone does. And if I had to guess, so does Josh. Jeff had hired him for some special effects work. The kid's been missing ever since the revelry."

Talking about it does not help. His hands shake a little and he tugs at his cuffs again to hide it. "Been there, done that. Took everything I had not to punch him in the face. I know he's not the same person, but I get judged all the time for the shit my brothers did. Why does he get to walk away unscathed? Why does she, for that matter? She was just as complicit in --"

He cuts his rant short, aware of how his volume is creeping up, his composure cracking. He takes a deep breath and smooths back his hair. "Okay. Okay, let's get out of here, then."

[sweetcandygirl]

"I was with Josh in the nightmare." She can tell him that much.

And the Caspar speaks about Josh being missing. "He was at the meet-and-greet. And he is... back facing those same nightmares."

"I really don't know what to do to help him right now."

Harley nods when he talks about wanting to punch Jeff in the face. "I totally understand. I am not the same person. And I don't get to walk away unscathed. Every second person I meet these days has a certain opinion of me, because of what I did when I was with Joker."

She puts her clothes on the counter. And looks at Caspar. "You know what we both need? Some venting time together. Whatcha say? I know of a good place where we can box."

[fiveofnone]

Damn. He didn't know that Josh had been in the Nightmare, either. He listens as Harley confirms his suspicions. "He must remember the old timeline, then. It must have set him off. It won't matter to him that Jeff hasn't killed anyone in this timeline."

It isn't fair, that Josh has to remember what happened, and Jeff doesn't.

"I'm not saying Jeff doesn't deserve a second chance, but he should at least have to remember what he did in that other timeline, and deal with the consequences. Like we do. Or at least stay out of the Nexus so we never have to see him again..."

He blinks at Harley's offer to go boxing, then looks around, as if expecting someone to pop out behind a clothing rack and tell him he's not allowed to go. He shakes off the feeling. "I'm not dressed for the occasion, but if you give me a little time to change, then sure."

[sweetcandygirl]

"It does seem like an easy out. You don't know how many times I wish I could forget everything. That I could sleep easy at night."

Harley takes her receipt, putting in her pocket.

"Sure I can do that. It would give me time to take these home." She takes out her PINpoint, so she can message him the address of the boxing ring.

"Ten minutes?"

[fiveofnone]

"I tried that. Early on, once I found out I was a Cylon." He huffs out a breath. "Should've tried drinking, but I didn't have the stomach for it."

His PINpoint buzzes with her message. He pulls it out of his pocket and looks at the coordinates on the screen.

"Ten minutes," he agrees, and then teleports home to change.

[sweetcandygirl]

Ten minutes give Harley enough time to take her clothes home, and change into one of her short-short and ripped T-shirt outfits. The set that she is used to fighting in.

The boxing ring is in a fight-safe area of the Nexus, where people can turn to violence to express their aggression.

Harley enters the ring, bouncing a little on her heels as she waits.

[fiveofnone]

Caspar appears in what looks like military issue sweats -- an olive green tank top over a tight gray t-shirt and a pair of gray shorts. Not his usual flashy style at all.

He steps into the ring. "So, how are we doing this? Standard rules? Should I get some padding, just in case? I can't help but feel like you have the advantage here." He smirks, his stance casual, but there is an underlying tension in his frame. There are boxing and wrestling matches on Atlantis -- both are time-honored sports -- but Caspar is never invited. It's as though others are afraid he'll cheat, or take things too far. And Adia wouldn't want him to fight, anyway.

It doesn't leave many outlets for his urge to pummel something.

[sweetcandygirl]

"I am pretty sure we already are breaking one rule." The whole boxers should be in the same weight category thing. Harley smiles.

"But yah... I am sure we can abide by the others. No hitting below the belt, no holds, trips, kicks, headbutts, bites, or pushes. This ain't Wrestlemania."

"If you feel you wanna padding, go ahead." She is not sure how much stronger she is than him. But definitely would not want to send Caspar home in a bad shape.

She is not worried about him taking things too far. It is a combination of her trusting him to play within the rules, and her own cockiness about her ability to take a lot of damage and keep on going.

[fiveofnone]

At 5'8", he's at least not towering over her and giving himself a height advantage. "Damn, there go all my signature moves," he quips.

As for padding, that gets a moment of serious thought. "Nah," he finally decides. "I'll be all right." Cylons were designed to endure blunt force trauma. And, okay, he's being a little vain, not wanting to wear a boxing helmet.

"One thing, though." He pulls up the right side of his shirt, revealing a scar from a bullet wound above his hipbone. "Go easy if you tag me here. I have strength and endurance, but I don't have your healing factor."

There are a couple of small, round bruises higher up by his ribs. Love bites, it looks like. He doesn't comment on those, dropping his shirt. "Are we doing official rounds? Is there a bell or timer around here?"

[sweetcandygirl]

"Not a lot of people do." And she will be watching him carefully, to make sure she doesn't hurt him too much. Today is about venting their shared aggression. Not about hurting each other.

And she does smile at the love bites.

"No timer. How about you tell me when you need a breather, and we stop? Like a safe word?" Because with her energy, she is less likely to need breaks.

[fiveofnone]

It says something that he's willing to show her a weak point of his and trust that she won't exploit it. Although he does look a little annoyed at the suggestion of a safe word. "How about 'stop hitting me'? That safe enough?"

He knows he doesn't have her energy, but geez, he's not some wimpy baseline human.

"Enough banter." He puts up his fists and grins. "Ladies first. Come at me."

[sweetcandygirl]

"Tsk. Nothing in the rules about no bantering." Harley teases him. Then she moves forward, quickly, aiming a quick one-two jab at his chest.

[fiveofnone]

Caspar twists, guard up, so that her blows glance off him, and counters with a cross jab. "Good," he quips. "Wouldn't want to get tossed out on a technicality."

[sweetcandygirl]

"It wouldn't be the first time." Harley dodges the cross jab, bouncing on her feet. Her agility will be key to both offense and defense. She fakes a low left jab, but then switches quickly for a right uppercut.

[fiveofnone]

She is definitely more agile than he is, although he's not slow by any means. He doesn't bother to dodge the jab, either anticipating the feint or not caring if it connects. Her uppercut misses by a millimeter.

"Probably just jealous their comebacks were as weak as their punches." He comes in quickly with another jab, concentrating on tagging her before she can dart off again.

[sweetcandygirl]

Harley laughs. She loves how quick and witty he is during this little sparring match. It is one of the reasons she considers him a close friend.

She catches his fist when he jabs at her. And spins around to try to elbow him in the stomach (avoiding aiming where the gunshot wound is).

[fiveofnone]

He blinks in surprise when she catches his fist. Damn, didn't see that coming. The jab solidly connects, and he grunts from the impact.

Recovering quickly, he tries to jab her again, this time in the back while she's turned. "I thought we were boxing, not ballroom dancing," he says, yanking his fist away.

[sweetcandygirl]

The rules were set. But Harley knows how to play just inside of the rules, while still maintaining a level of surprise.

His jab to her back connects. But she aims another low elbow jab to the other side of his guy. She laughs. "Good thing. I am a better dancer."

[fiveofnone]

It's a trick worthy of a Cylon, but she won't catch him off-guard again. Her second jab is deflected, and he attempts to spin her back to face him properly. "That's because you get more practice than me."

[sweetcandygirl]

"Awww I am sorta sad about that. You should dance more. Especially with Adia." Harley moves away from him, circling for an opening for a second.

Then she swoops in quickly, with another fast one-two jab.

[fiveofnone]

He doesn't say anything for a while, concentrating instead on blocking her next attack. He throws another punch, hard, trying to put some distance between them.

"I don't know how," he finally admits, when he has room to breathe.

[sweetcandygirl]

The punch glances her shoulder, and Harley swears softly, before aiming another couple of quick punches. She is putting in a lot of effort to follow the rules.

"You don't?" Harley bounces on her feet again. "I can teach you."

"Then you can surprise her with a dance!"